In life we always have choices. These “choices” become more complex to answer when they are being made for a client’s campaign, advertisement, or event.

When I first took on the preparations for a vehicle display at an event The Lincoln Motor Company was sponsoring in NYC, I had recently started working with Factory 360. So, I thought I would be helping with a few details here and there. No one expected the Account Manager to fall ill, and well, there I was trying to make sense of everything that needed to be sourced, coordinated, or purchased.

I was suddenly talking and emailing with the client on a more one-on-one level. This can be a tricky tight rope to balance because no matter what show is on stage, whatever things happen behind the curtain are not something spectators need to see. There were many questions and I asked them:

Where do we get wood flooring from?
Do we have to get someone to drop off the flowers every event date?
Who is our print shop contact?
What is a CAD rendering?!

At the time, where to start or what to do first wasn’t clear. What I came to understand is that things never will be crystal clear. This is the greatest part of the lesson I received coordinating the vehicle display events.

As I look back over my time in event marketing, I understand the process begins with an idea and the client’s approval. Then, as an agency, we begin looking at the different client choices available for each element of the event. We go back and present these to the client with our own recommendations and see what direction they send us in.

With that final approval, we begin finding the different parts of this event puzzle and putting them together. A checklist helps my team keep track of all of purchases, arrival dates, vendor information, and everything else that may be of use at any given moment.

Internal deadlines are key, because breathing room will always be necessary. Nothing is ever perfect, but with clear organization and good time management perfection is not just a choice, it’s a possibility.

Being caught in a situation where I had to learn these lessons under pressure wasn’t ideal, but I am very grateful for the way things played out. Managing The Lincoln Motor Company’s display gave me the opportunity to gain more confidence in myself and my execution as an Account Coordinator with Factory!